The Path beyond Darkness
by InfernoDarkness
Summary: Gaining the Eternal Mangekyou Sharingan, Sasuke had left Uchiha Madara's hideout to claim his revenge before his and his brother's eyes, but what he cannot see despite seeing clear within the darkness, is the path that lies beyond it. R&R Please.
1. Chapter 1: Ending War

**A/N. This all happened when Sasuke first revealed his Eternal Mangekyou Sharingan, so all the canon-events after Sasuke first sets out with his Eternal Mangekyou Sharingan do not occur. In other words, Tobi = Madara. Also, I used the english translation for the majority of the techniques, despite liking the original Japanese Dub more  
Edit: Another note to keep in mind is that this (excluding the last chapter) was written all after Sasuke first revealed his EMS, hence, lack of actual anything that you may know from the manga. So if you all have any questions or concern, feel free to message me, I'll do my best to answer your questions regarding this story.  
**

War was close to reach its end, and the Ninja Alliance seemingly proved to demolish all attempts made by the mysterious masked man, who claimed to be Madara Uchiha. As the shinobi's, along with the jinchuriki's, seem to prove to be absolutely powerful to hold back all attempts from their enemy, the one person they did not expect to make his appearance, soon made his way to the battlefield. Fixed with his brother's Mangekyou Sharingan, Sasuke Uchiha had obtained the power that most of his clansmen sacrificed each other to obtain, the Eternal Mangekyou Sharingan. Driven by his hatred towards Konoha, no one in his path would stop him, even if it meant obliterating those trying to bar his path from his enemies. Walking within the rain he calls despair, it wasn't long until one of the Ninja Alliance's unit came into contact with Sasuke Uchiha. Sensing their approach, he faced the direction of his new opponents, seeing them fit to see how fully developed his powers have become. As they made their appearance, it turns out that Sasuke had encountered the Second Division, its main members being: Karui, Kurotsuchi, as well as Konoha's Hyuuga cousins, Neji and Hinata. It wasn't long until Neji took noticed, seeing Sasuke's chakra with use of his byakugan.

_What chakra is this…it…can't be_, Neji yelled in his thoughts, fearing the safety of his cousin.

Hinata, along with Karui and Kurotsuchi immediately caught on to what Neji did as the saw the sole Uchiha shinobi standing in front of their path. "Sasuke…"

_Sasuke…,_ Hinata thought to herself, _He's the one that attacked the Kage Summit…the same Uchiha that was once on Team Seven with Naruto…_ It was then she remembered what she could about Sasuke, not seeing him much even before his departure from the Leaf Village, three years ago.

It wasn't long until the Second Division reached and came to a complete halt in front of Sasuke, unsure of what they should do to the lone Uchiha. While their numbers were large and great, something about him being on his own sent shivers through their spines, as most saw him as a second Madara Uchiha himself. The lone Uchiha looked uninterested at the division, contemplating whether or not it was worth testing his new eyes upon them. His Sharingan activated, he quickly scanned the entire Division and recognized three of the chakra signatures, one from the Kage Summit, and two from his old former place.

"Hmph…" he grunted to himself, dissatisfied with his enemies. "Are these all the people you Shinobi's could gather? Pitiful…" he scorned, glaring at them.

"You'll pay you traitor!" It wasn't long until a small squad of ninja's attempted to make their assault towards them. From their battle cry, it didn't faze him that people from his former village was attempting to kill him.

As he gazed upon his foes charging mindlessly, he couldn't help but give them what they deserved. "Just like the Senju from long ago…You wish to kill me, Suppress me…" his sharingan constricted, "I'll show you…a fraction of an Uchiha's power…" and as the small group came in range, he simply strung handseals together, and blew a giant ball of fire, big enough to engulf a small fraction of the village, _Fire release: Grand Fireball technique!_, and with that, his attack burnt the ninja's to a crisp.

It was then that Hinata's byakugan caught something the moment he spoke about Senju and the Uchiha, that his chakra flow suddenly became black, seeing a dark flame explode within his chakra system. Her heart plunged into a cold icy feeling as she saw it, was she feeling what he was feeling in his heart? She continued observing his chakra, noticing that his heart was the exact opposite of Naruto's, cold and dark as the night. She admitted that she knew nothing about Sasuke Uchiha, never knowing anything past him being an Uchiha, attacking the Kage Summit, and someone that Naruto still believes will see the light.

Seeing the immediate danger, Neji sent the Second Division further ahead, having Karui and Kurotsuchi to guard incase other threats barred their way. "Karui, Kurotsuchi! Take the Second Division and go help Naruto. We'll take on Sasuke Uchiha, he is after all our responsibility for failing to deal with it previously" he ordered.

As the Second Division left, Sasuke scoffed thinking Neji and Hinata were a match enough for him. Although they too held a bloodline limit, the Byakugan, it was inferior compared to his Sharingan. Activating his Byakugan, Neji got into a stance ready to counter anything Sasuke would throw at him. Following along, Hinata attempted to do the same, only felt distracted by what she saw earlier. Seeing her hesitant to battle, Sasuke began to charge right after her, only to be barred by Neji, who attempted to unleash his 64 trigams on him.

"Nice try…" the Uchiha sarcastically remarked. He threw his arms out, Neji being in direct range. "Chidori Stream!" he yelled, unleashing an array of lightning across his entire body and a couple feet from it.

The attack was a direct hit as Neji felt his body slowly being electrocuted. Attempting to attack with his chokuto, infused with his lightning chakra, Sasuke attempted to strike the vulnerable Neji, only for the latter to barely perform a chakra rotation at the last minute, knocking Sasuke back. "Hinata, now!" he yelled, hoping his cousin would react.

"U-um… okay!" she replied. It was then she quickly infused her palms with her double dragon palm technique and leapt forward to connect the attack. However, thanks to his Sharingan, Sasuke was able to see it and grabbed her wrist, throwing her down along with him.

"You're becoming a nuisance…" he told her. He pinned her arms down and closed his eyes, opening them almost immediately to reveal his Eternal Mangekyou Sharingan. _Tsukiyomi!_ And with that his left Eternal Mangekyou constricted, sending Hinata into world of mental hell.

As she became inflicted with the genjutsu, she wasn't sure what she was witnessing. As she looked around, the sky was red, the buildings, people; even she was black, outlined in white. It was then she saw flashes of a young Sasuke hanging with his older brother, Itachi and later his mother, and as she did, she began having flashbacks of her own childhood. It wasn't long until she witnessed something only mentioned and spread throughout the village of Konoha, The Uchiha Massacre. She watched in terror as she saw his older brother and the masked man brutally slaughter every member of the Uchiha clan, culminating to when Sasuke returned from school to see the death of every clan member. Watching as he returned home to see his brother murder his parents in front of his eyes, she couldn't help but shed a tear.

_W-why…am I crying?_ She asked herself, wiping her tear away and looking at it.

It was then she saw the conversation he had with Madara, when he told him the history of the Uchiha and Senju, and how overtime, the Senju clan began to monitor the Uchiha, suppressing them into the one corner of the village. It was then she recalled what she heard not too long ago, what he said about the Senju. _"Just like the Senju from long ago…You wish to kill me, Suppress me…" his sharingan constricted, "I'll show you…a fraction of an Uchiha's power…" _and for some reason as she recalled this, she saw flashes of his mother with a young Sasuke, before the massacre.

_Naruto had no parents…It was horrible for him because he was all alone…_she began to think to herself, _And I had a horrible relationship with mine…but Sasuke…_

Back on the battlefield, Sasuke was battling a worn out Neji. Although the latter had done well to prove himself worthy, he felt the need to end the battle and save his cousin. Quickly entering his stance, he thrusting his fist out toward Sasuke, sending a vacuum shell of pressurized air at one of Sasuke's vitals, hoping it would be enough to injure him. "Eight Trigrams Vacuum Palm!"

Sasuke laughed as the ethereal warrior, Susano'o quickly formed, blocking the attack from reaching him. "Neji… you were the only strongest Ninja in Konoha that had a chance of defeating me" he commented, "however, I must tell you that even if you are strong…you are no different from that backstabbing traitor who was the 1st Hokage!" As he anger rose, Susano'o became affected by it, bursting with even more power. Using the ethereal warrior, Sasuke smashed Neji into the ground, regardless of the latter's chakra rotation, and whacked him far off.

Unbeknownst to him, Sasuke was stopped as he felt someone latch their arms around his chest. Looking behind, he saw Hinata had somehow snapped out of the illusion and for some reason, latched her arms around him.

"w-What do you think you're doing?!" he yelled at the purple haired kunoichi.

Unfazed by his yell, she kept her arms around him. "I-I'm s-sorry…S-Sasuke…" she apologized, "I-I'm sorry for what happened…"

He began to shake, unsure what to feel. Never before had someone apologized to him for something they didn't do. But she did do something, didn't she? Deep down, he knew she was part of the Senju that oppressed the Uchiha for so many years, but why did she apologize? It wasn't long until he cringed, tears streaming from his face as Susano'o immediately dissipated.

"W…why are you crying?" he asked her, a tone of anger in his voice. He ignored the fact he was crying slightly, not wanting to show weakness in front of his enemy.

She wasn't sure herself why she was crying. Was it because she felt sympathy for the Uchiha who suffered so much? Maybe she felt sympathetic because she witnessed herself the tragedy he went through, along with the things he lost. "B-because, you lived your whole life, living with the fact your brother murdered everyone you loved…all because of how the Senju treated your clan…t-they didn't receive suffer…Sasuke…you did"

It was then he pushed her off, ready to counter with a chidori to her chest, only for her to take his hand and pierce it through her chest, kissing him at the same time. With her dying breath, she pulled back. A shocked Sasuke in front of her. "I-I hope my d-death is enough to satisfy your revenge…S-Sasuke…" She wasn't sure why she forced him to stab her.

"Idiot…" he scorned, "W-why didn't you stop me?!" It was then as he looked upon Hinata slowly dying, he saw a faint image of his mother.

"B-because I f-felt…that If anyone forced love into you…you'd remember what it felt like having someone to care for…all..over…again…" It was then Hinata's last breath was given, and she had finally passed.

Anger filled his heart once more, not out of hatred, but out of sadness. It was then as he saw himself as a child; remembering when he tried gaining his father's recognition by performing the basic Uchiha Clan technique, the Grand fireball. "_Your older brother is your older brother and you're you, but your father has always cared very deeply about both of you._"It was then he remembered the thing he told Itachi, as well as the last thing Itachi had said to him before his death. "_You and I are flesh and blood. I'm always going to be there for you, even if it's only as an obstacle for you to overcome. Even if you do hate me. That's what big brothers are for._" The thought of his brother opened the last words he said, "_Forgive me Sasuke… …It ends with this._" As he opened his eyes, fueled by the loving memory of his mother and brother, along with the death of Hinata, his Eternal Mangekyou Sharingan morphed into the Rinnegan. Picking up her lifeless body, Sasuke made his way to the battlefield, putting an end to this war with his new found power.

Back at the battlefield between Fake Madara and Naruto, the battle was completely even. With Naruto in his Nine Tailed Cloak mode, he managed to hold off against the assault made by the masked man. With the Rinnegan and Sharingan, as well as the chakra from seven of the nine tailed beasts, the masked man proved to be even greater threat. Using the Demonic statue of the Outer Path, the masked man was easily able to replenish his used chakra, and maximize his abilities to their full potential.

"You are mine, Naruto Uzumaki!" he gloated, using the full potential of the Rinnegan, "Universal Pull!" he shouted, forcing Naruto to be forcefully pulled towards him.

As he did, he used a similar technique, Almighty Push, to severly impale Naruto with several Chakra rods, specially made to prevent any chakra of the nine tailed fox to circulate, causing him to be immobile. Going to claim his prize, a blur raced across the field, catching Naruto. Curious, the masked man looked off to see Sasuke, with Naruto on his shoulders.

"Sasuke…" He called out towards him, "Good job capturing the nine tailed host, now hand him over".

It was then his Sharingan activated, glaring angrily at him. "I don't think so".

"Sasuke!" Naruto exclaimed, "What the hell are you doing here?!"

"Shut up" Sasuke replied to his former teammate, dropping him on the branch without any concern.

"Ouch!" Naruto grumbled, "That hurt you bastard!"

Sasuke paid no attention to him, nor did he care about his condition. "Stay out of this fight, Naruto. As much as I fear for the village, you need to finish your dream and become Hokage".

As the masked man made a mad dash, forming seals and releasing a large fire release technique, Sasuke just idly stood there, and activated his Rinnegan. It was then he absorbed the technique through the ability of Preta Path. Simultaneously, he extended his hand towards his enemy, and executed a technique from Deva Path. "Almighty Push!"

Thrown back from the technique, The masked man chuckled as he was surprised in Sasuke's new found ability. "It seems you have gained the Rinnegan…Sasuke. So please enlighten me on how you obtained such an amazing ability".

"None of your concern… only concern is that I'll finish you off…along with this war" the Uchiha stated. Leaping towards his foe, he threw his left arm out, starting his Chidori.

Unfortunately, the Masked man attempted to smash his iron war fan at him, only for the attack to pierce through. Despite this feat, he was thrown off by an Almighty Push, followed by multiple strings of a technique from each element. Using a tree to stop the momentum, Sasuke leapt at a high speed, his chokuto out, infused with his chidori, and used it to slice through all the earth release techniques. It wasn't long until all his attacks were proven useless, and Sasuke had to resort to his Mangekyou techniques. Activating his Mangekyou, he stood on a branch attempting to decide which technique would work, knowing full well that he would be able to dispel any other technique.

"Ugh.." worn out, Sasuke grunted, working with the wounds that he received trying to get close to the masked man. _Damn it, what can I do…he's well learned most, if not all the mangekyou techniques…_

It was then, as if Itachi, his mother, and his father were there, appearing beside Sasuke as he gazed upon his enemy. In a vast white plane, filled with nothing but them, looking like the last time he had saw them..only Itachi was wearing the same clothing he wore when they'd talk on the porch, all those years ago. His mother smiled at him, wrapping her arms around her son as his father stood there like he always did, scorning, but loving. He looked over, and realized his father was smiling, as well his brother, looking at Sasuke.

"You've grown so much…Sasuke" his mother said.

Stunned, he stood there, "M-mother…?" he said, looking behind him he saw his father,"F-father...? what's going on?"

"Before your brother killed us…he sealed a portion of our chakra into his Mangekyou eyes, knowing one day you would avenge us, and obtain the Eternal Mangekyou".

Sasuke looked over at his brother, and remembered the moment Itachi died, he poked him on the forehead. It had explained why Itachi's Amaterasu went off at the sight of the Masked Man's sharingan, but never did he expect other secret's to dwell.

"Itachi…why would you do that…?" he asked his brother.

"Simple…to teach you the ultimate Mangekyou Sharingan technique that not even Madara knows of".

"What is it…?" he asked.

"If you've noticed…" Itachi began to explain, "Each of the Mangekyou techniques corresponds with a name…and there's a reason why you hated me…"

"because you took away our family…" he answered with a hint of sorrow.

Itachi frowned, "Unfortunately… but as you realized… family is a strong bond" he smiled, "God's and Goddess's are no different"

"Sasuke" they all spoke in unision, "The technique of the Uchiha Clan… comes from the power of not one…but the bond of a family…remember…the technique is…"

Opening his eyes, Sasuke's mangekyou sharingan took the form of his own, as it was before he implanted Itachi's eyes. It was then it spiraled to form Itachi's mangekyou, once more to a version with a flower pattern, and a final time to a version that resembled a shuriken tilted at an angle. _Celestial Plain!_ He uttered, as his eyes shifted into the Rinnegan.

"Celestial…Plain?" the masked man looked in confusion.

It was then the masked man was surrounded in a blinding light, as deities began appearing one by one around him. It wasn't long until they all disappeared, and soon a dark burning flame combusted on the masked man, Amaterasu. Continuing to inflict its burn, he felt a hypnotizing presence, feeling his chakra drained right out of his body, Tsukiyomi. Out of chakra, a thundering storm began to brew as a twister engulfed him, merging with the flames as the blades of wind began to seemingly cut into his body, Susano'o. A bright light then began to burst within him, light leaking out of his body, seemingly burning him from within, Izanagi. Finally, the man saw the world around him engulfed in darkness, as a woman in a wraith cloak, and razor gauntlet appeared, her hair wrecked and her body half consumed by maggots, the other either rotting or normal. Raising her sharp gauntlet, she raised it toward herself, and slammed the back into the masked man's body, feeling the very life burst out and suddenly be taken. Left with no spirit, and no chakra, the masked man's life was in the very hands of the woman he saw, Izanami.

Falling from the branch from where he stood, Sasuke knew there was one thing he needed to do to write all the wrong that has happened in this war. Stringing several handseals together, he activated his Rinnegan one more time, _Outer Path: Samsara of Heavenly Life_. Summoning the King of Hell, it opened as beams of light began shooting outwards, targeting only the fallen shinobi lost in the war. His eyes dilating and closing, the last thing he saw was Naruto leaping forward to catch him. _The rest is up to you…Naruto…you s-stupid…bastard…_


	2. Chapter 2: Aftermath

Infinite darkness, he lied in the middle, unsure if it was solid or not. He couldn't see, nor could he hear, leaving him to assume that he must have died using that last technique. It didn't bother him; he deserved his death, having taken innocent lives as well as conspiring with the enemy. What mattered to him was that at least he was with his family, his mother, his father…even his brother. Although the last of his clan, at least he knew the world was at peace, no more long historic grudges, and more of all, no more conflict between the countries. They had united as one; no longer ninja's of a single village, but ninja's of a whole country. Although he knew they would eventually return to normal, the conflicts that once were there were gone due to all the bonds made during the war.

_S-Sasuke…_ a voice called out, a feminine voice stuttering over his name.

It wasn't long until he saw a blinding light pierce through the darkness. Taking this as a sign it was finally over, he let his body float up to the light.

"S-Sasuke!" the same voice yelled out, feeling someone latch their arms around his body. "You're awake!"

His vision came, seeing the image of a purple haired kunoichi on him. He looked around, his body still in pain, his vision blurred. He recognized the area to be his old home in the Uchiha district, how did he get here? Looking closer at the kunoichi, he recognized the girl to be the same one he killed out of rage and confusion, "Hinata…why are you here?" he said, his tone uncaring.

Scared by his tone, Hinata let go of him, "I-I'm…e-er…" she began to fidget, "A-a woman who l-looked like you t-told me to get you and...umm…b-b-bring you here".

He thought for a second, _someone who looked like me…mom?!_ He got up and attempted to make his way out to the door, only to stumble, Hinata having to catch him.

"Y-you n-need to take it easy S-Sasuke" Hinata fidgeted, carrying him to the door.

"I-I'm sorry…" he grunted, "Please…take me to the graveyard… the Uchiha cemetery" he asked, almost demanding.

"O-Okay" she answered.

It took them some time, but Hinata was able to help Sasuke reach the morgue, where all the Uchiha clansmen were buried. It was laid in secret, only known to the Uchiha. As they reached the entrance, he lightly pushed her aside, stumbling his way to the casket that was labeled 'Mikoto Uchiha'. It was then his Sharingan activated, lightly brushing her name engraved. She could only watch, wondering what he was feeling. It was then his eyes reverted back to normal, slowly making his way back to Hinata, only to collapse on top of her.

"I need to leave…" he told her, "Konoha…is no longer a home to me…"

She could only nod, acknowledging all that has happened before. Konoha had only driven him further to his hatred in the past, and only intensified it when he learned of the revelation. "W-When…will you leave?"

"Tomorrow…" he finished, drifting off to sleep.

The next day rolled around, Sasuke woke up, Hinata having left the day before due to his request. Beside him were some new clothes. Black pants and a black zippered shirt, the Uchiha symbol on the back. Amongst was a pair of black fingerless gloves, a dark grey sash, as well as his chokuto. He got up, putting his clothes on and zipped his shirt three fourths of the way up. Tying the knot of his sash on the right side, he took his chokuto and placed it behind him, sliding it behind the sash securely, so it didn't fall out. Sliding on his gloves, he was interrupted as someone from the door threw him a cloak. Looking, he was surprised who it was. She was dressed similarly to Neji, with the added fishnet shirt underneath her large white robe.

"Hyuuga… what are you doing here?" he asked, looking at the kunoichi in the door way.

Not to his surprise, she began to fidget once more, "W-well…I-I was h-hoping I c-could j-join you…?" Throwing her hands around her head, frightened.

He didn't say anything, walking towards and then stopping behind her. As she looked behind to see him stopping right behind her, she looked as he turned his head around, "If you can beat me…then you can. Follow me to the Uchiha training ground…"

"O-okay…"

Arriving at a desolated ruined area, Sasuke activated his Sharingan, prompting Hinata to activate her Byakugan. Preparing herself for any attack, she rushed over, and began attempting her 64 palms attack.

"64 palms!" she exclaimed, however as she began to attack, Sasuke's sharingan saw through her attack, prompting him to push her wrists to the side.

Launching his counter, he kicked her into the air, appearing above to unleash a furious barrage of kicks before launching her back down. Afraid of hitting the ground, she clenched her eyes, only to feel herself land in his arms, looking down at her. "Hmm…" he began to say, "Can't even land a single hit…"

"N-no good…" she frowned.

He sighed, "I guess I could bring you along, but it looks like I will have to train you myself" he decided, deactivating his Sharingan, prompting her to do the same. He slowly placed her on her own feet, dusting her down. "Aren't you worried of ending up as a rogue ninja, like me?"

She smiled, "You're not a rogue ninja anymore… "She answered, "The new Hokage has given us both our status's back, as well as permission to leave as we will, without penalties"

"New Hokage?"

Back in the Hokage's office, Sakura walked in, approaching the ninja clad in the hokage's coat. "Was it really okay to take his status away, as well as giving them both permission to leave?" she asked.

A smile is seen, "That bastard owes me one…" he answered, "Besides, Hinata leaving as well was quite a surprise"

"Well…you know what will happen if anything occurs while they're gone" she added.

"Not a problem, Sakura, besides" he stared out through the window, his blue eyes full of trust, "Sasuke…no…my brother, wouldn't dare risk another's life, not anymore." Naruto said, knowing Sasuke wouldn't dare endangering Hinata's life.

Sasuke gave a small grin to himself, "That blonde headed dumb*ss become Hokage eh?".

She nodded, "Right after the war".

Remembering all the events that occurred between him and Naruto, he felt a sense of respect for him. Throwing on his cloak, he along with Hinata, walked past through the exit of the Hidden Leaf, beginning the search of the Uchiha's new foundation.


	3. Chapter 3: Sunrise Blossom

Training was rough, although she didn't expect him to go easy on her. Dusk had fallen, and already she was aching all over her body. He walked over towards her, resting his chokuto on his shoulder as his red sharingan eyes glared at her. Stopping in front of her, he was neither approving nor disappointed in her performance, it had only been the second day of training, and they were on the road seemingly to the unknown. She was lucky he hadn't used any lethal techniques, such as his Mangekyou or Rinnegan, but his lightning and fire releases were terrible enough. He sighed, putting his chokuto back into its saya, deactivating his Sharingan in the process.

"That's enough for today" he stated, his tone as monotone as ever, "We'll camp for the night, and continue our way tomorrow". Turning his back and making his way back towards the campsite, he left her to her own.

"O-okay" she answered, stuttering as she tried not to show any signs of pain, "S-Sasuke?"

He stopped, "Yes?"

"Umm…" she wasn't sure what to say, "S-should I s-start making camp?" she hesitantly asked, wanting to prove she was tough.

Standing there for a moment, he finally answered, "No. I want you to get cleaned up, and rest. I'll take care of the camp".

She blushed; shocked at the answer she received. Believing that he was the same cold hearted Uchiha she first got to know, learning he may have some warmth in his heart; she hesitantly got up and slowly made her way to a nearby pond, aiming to cleanse herself. The water was cold, but as she undressed herself and slowly made her way into the deep part of the water, she could feel her mind at ease. Traveling with the lone Uchiha was tough, tougher than she could imagine. He distanced himself from her, not physically, but emotionally. Although, the recent comment that he insisted she got herself cleaned up had her wondering if he was starting to slightly open up to her.

Back at the campsite, the Uchiha had just finished setting up camp. It wasn't much of a job, setting up a tent for Hinata to sleep in, while he decided to lay out under the stars for himself. The fire wasn't a big deal, knowing he could instantly light it with a fire technique, so he spent the time resting his head on a log, gazing upon the dusk sky as his thoughts roamed. He was dead inside, his entire life devoted to his revenge, now, there was nothing left for him. The only thing on his mind now, was rebuilding his clan, far away from Konoha. Despite his teammate becoming the Hokage, he knew no one else of the village would acknowledge his presence, and he couldn't blame them. He betrayed their village, and fought them numerous times. Night soon fell, and Hinata had finally made her way back towards the campsite, unbeknownst to him.

"S-Sasuke" she said, hoping she wasn't disturbing him, "S-Sasuke… is everything alright?"

He looked over to her, dressed in her fishnet shirt, a white Hyuga robe above it with the emblem on the back. There was something about her that was hypnotizing, it wasn't genjutsu, but something he felt was similar. Quickly, he looked away, keeping his emotions intact.

"What do you want?" he asked, keeping his emotions in check, "I see you're cleaned off. Your bed is in the tent, and dinner is out above the fire". He said, pointing to the cooked fish above the campfire.

"T-Thank you" she said, her tone shaking. As she went to pick up her food, a sharp pain shot into her shoulder "nngh…" she grunted, immediately grabbing her shoulder. _I have to be strong…I can't let him see me like this_, she began thinking to herself.

Unknowingly to her, he made his way to her with a med kit. She didn't know he was there until she felt a hand taking her own off her shoulder, and her robe being pulled down. He sliced through the sleeve of her fishnet shirt with a kunai to look at the open wound. It was a decent cut, judging that he had done it when she attempted a Heavenly Rotation, only to counter it with a Chidori Sharp Spear before she had a chance to rotate. Pouring medicine on top of it, Hinata immediately began to form tears. Sasuke saw this and quickly bandaged up the wound so that it could heal properly. Resting her robes on top of her shoulders, he left back to where he was earlier, lying down on his side, the emblem of his clan facing her.

"I'm going to bed" he told her, "I'll see you in the morning".

"O-okay…" she answered, "G-good night, Sasuke…"

There wasn't a response. She didn't expect him to, but neither did she expect him to patch up her wound. Looking over at the fire, she felt she didn't belong, feeling only she was a burden to him. As she looked over to a seemingly asleep Sasuke, she threw her robe on, packed her belongings, and began to make her way back to Konoha.

Amongst the shadows in which she was in, she couldn't help be notice the paths were too dark for her to know where she was. Hearing noises in the forest around her, she began sprinting, hoping whatever it was that was in the forest would leave her alone. Unfortunately for her, this wasn't the case, as she heard several footsteps running at the same speed as her, pursuing her. Running, it wasn't long until she ran into a group of Curse Seal subjects, prisoners that Orochimaru had experimented the Cursed Seal on. They were all fully mutated, being failed products of the procedure, but they were strong enough to put up a threat.

"S-sasuke!" she cried out, _Wait…that's right…he's not around anymore…no matter, I can handle this myself, _she told herself, sliding into her gentle fist stance.

"You're mine!" one of the prisoners shouted, leaping towards her.

Activating her Byakugan, she launched her 64 palms. Throwing each strike into a pinpointed area at a rapid speed, Hinata managed to hit the prisoner a full 64 times, the last hit connecting to his heart. This provoked the other prisoner's, each of them with a mutated weapon of their own, jumping towards her. Seeing this, she shot her elbow into one that was closer, following it up with a palm thrust to his chest, knocking him far back. As more came, she kept up the pace, blocking with one arm, and unleashing a combination attack, sending them flying off. However, she felt there was an entire army of these escaped prisoners, prompting her to flee. Making her way further, a prisoner dropped in on her, causing her to activate her Heavenly Rotation technique. Although she was successful, the strain from her wound caused it to rip open, sending a sharp pain through her body.

"Aahhn!" she cried out, grasping her shoulder, trying to regain her composure. She began running, hoping it would heal enough for her to continue fending off her opponents.

As more came, she managed to fend off a couple more by thrusting her palm, sending a vacuum shell of air encased with chakra at them, shooting them through the boulder. It wasn't long until her energy fell due to the pain in her arm. Looking, she saw her own blood soaking the white sleeve of her robe.

"We got you now!" she heard from above. Looking up, she saw several prisoners' dropping in, their weapons in hand and ready to strike. At the last moment, she managed to pull off another Heavenly Rotation, only for her energy to be drained, sending her crashing into the ground.

As she fell, another prisoner was behind her, ready to strike. However, before falling, she felt someone catch her. Looking up, she saw crimson red eyes, Sharingan eyes. "S-Sasuke…" she muttered, falling limp on him.

"Chidori…Sharp Spear!" he said, his left hand encased in a chidori sooned formed into a spear, as it shot outward into the chest of a prisoner. He leapt from his spot, avoiding an attack from several behind.

Not wanting to risk Hinata getting hurt, he closed his eyes for only a second, opening them to reveal his Eternal Mangekyou Sharingan. Summoning the ethereal warrior, Susano'o, Sasuke and Hinata were both protected by the entity's absolute defense. Carrying her in his arms, he had the warrior use the flame orb of Amaterasu in its third hand to set ablaze every prisoner surrounding them. It was then he left them to their own demise, carrying the wounded Hinata in his arms. Looking back, he quickly extinguished the flames he set so that the fire wouldn't spread out to them, and deactivated his Mangekyou, making their way back to camp.

It was only several hours later, still pitch dark, and as she awoke, Hinata found her Hyuga robe discarded on the edge of the tent she was in, still covered in blood. Looking down at herself, she found herself wearing Sasuke's black zippered shirt, causing her to blush furiously. Moving from her tent, she saw him laying next the slowly dying fire. Obviously he wasn't wearing his zippered shirt, but was wearing a random black shirt, the Uchiha crest still embedded on the back. He wasn't sleeping, but at the same time he wasn't awake. His thoughts wandering the endless abyss of his mind, his body lay limp on the ground. She didn't want to disturb him, but at the same time she wanted to thank him. Although, all sense of wanting to thank him soon faded, remembering she was even more in pain for making an attempt to leave. Filled with doubt, she slowly retreated her way back into her tent, only to be caught by the Uchiha.

"Wait, Hinata" she heard him say, causing her to poke her head back out of the tent. She made her way towards him slowly, standing above him. "I see you've awakened" he pointed out.

"M-mhm…" she nodded. Fidgeting, she looked down, unsure what to say.

"I'm glad you're alright…" he told her, causing her to shake a bit more, blushing at him caring for her, "I'll escort you back to Konoha in the morning".

"W-Why?" she asked, her heart feeling a sharp pain.

He turned to her, a small smile, almost depressing, "That's where you were trying to go, right?"

She couldn't explain it. She almost felt sad that he knew what her intentions were. He turned his back to her, not out of anger or disappointed, but it was all he knew. Already losing his mother and father, along with his brother, a single other person was no different. She didn't need her byakugan, or any technique to see his chakra. Cold, freezing chakra chilled hers by just looking at him. His chakra, dropping in temperature since his childhood, it was only natural since he had lost everyone he loved, as well as everyone who loved him. Inheriting his clan's hatred, his life was dedicated to using their hatred to inflict a deep wound on those who treated his clan like dirt. Unsure of her actions, she took off the zippered shirt he placed on her and sprawled herself on top of him, forcing him to lie on his back.

"S-Sasuke…" she said, blushing furiously.

His face began to heat up, "W-What are you trying to do?" he asked.

He was cut off as she planted a kiss on him. Her heart began racing, holding the kiss as long as she could before he broke away. Feeling ashamed, she hid her face behind her hands, burning intensely from what she did. Soon, she felt her hands being pulled from her face as she was pulled into another kiss. Feeling her body fall on her back, she instinctively wrapped her leg around his waist, letting herself fall victim to herself. She felt his hand on her leg, but responded by wrapping her arms around his neck, making sure he doesn't leave. Breaking away, she momentarily held their position as she spoke.

"S-Sasuke…" she said, blushing deep, "I d-don't want to go back…" she stuttered.

He looked at her and wondered, "Are you sure…?"

She nodded, "Y-yes…" the next words she would say were probably something she didn't expect to say, but did. "I-I love you".

"W-what?" his eyes shot opened, "W-what do you mean? I thought you loved that blonde idiot".

She blushed, shaking her head, "That was before I g-got to know you… the moment during the war…" she stated, moving his hand to where he impaled her with a chidori during the war.

Realizing where his hand was, he couldn't pull his hand away, her hand preventing him to. The feeling, the feeling was weird in his heart. Again, he wasn't sure why he said this, but he did. "I-I love you too…Hinata…"

He planted another kiss on her, causing her to pull him closer with her leg and her arms. Pressing her entire body into him, she refused to let him go.

Morning soon rolled by, and as it did, the two were found in the tent, covered completely. Hinata, her long purple hair entirely messed up, snuggled up to Sasuke who had a scorned look on his face. It wasn't long until he woke up, looking around the area with a stern look. Looking down, he saw the Hyuga girl in deep slumber, a small smile on her face. Brushing the hair out of her face, she gently woke up, pulling the covers to wrap herself as she sat up, falling limp on top of his shoulder. Yawning gently, she rested her head on top of his shoulder.

"Good Morning…Sasuke" She tiredly greeted.

He rubbed her back gently, "Good morning…Hy-…Hinata"

"Mmm…" she rested more against him.

He got up, much to her surprise, and began getting dressed. Shocked at his behavior, she looked down at the sheets, until he lifted her chin up and kissed her, causing her to blush once more. "Get dressed. We have a long day today".

"O-okay" she blushed, giving a gentle smile. She looked down and noticed the bloodstained sheets. Blushing furiously, she quickly gathered the sheet and tucked it her in bag, and finally got dressed.

It wasn't long until she was dressed; wearing the spare robe she kept in her bag. Walking out, she saw Sasuke finishing up things, his Chokuto within his sash. With everything packed, Sasuke sent everything away into a summoning scroll, placing the scroll within one of the seals under his wrist. Originally, he had kept an unlimited amount of shurikens, but after his battle in the war, he replaced it with supplies, knowing it was going to be a long journey for him.

"S-sasuke?" she asked him, "I-Is everything ready?"

Scanning the area one last time, he finally answered her, "Definitely. Let's head out, Hinata" and then began walking forward.

Looking at him walking, she quickly ran up to him, putting his hand in hers, locking their fingers together. As he looked at her hand intertwined with his, he looked up at her and saw her smiling face, a hint of blush in her cheeks. Surrendering himself to her, he smiled back, walking to wherever they may end up, with her at his side.


	4. Chapter 4: Things Left Behind

It felt good to be back, having been gone for several months with the lone Uchiha, as he ventured through parts to seek what it was he was looking for. She strolled around the village, the sun beaming her bright face as the wind gently blew her long navy hair along the current. It felt like years since she was around so many people, as well as her old friends. Spending the day and most of the evening with her fellow shinobi's, she couldn't help but feel something, or rather, someone was missing out on all the fun. Taking a small glance at the moon while everyone was nearby having a party, she had hoped it didn't draw too much attention to her.

"Hinata?" a voice called out before she felt an arm thrown around her neck, "What are you doing all the way over here, when all of us are celebrating?"

Startled, she quickly returned to reality to quickly respond, "It's nothing, Sakura… It's just…"

"hmm…" She poked around, narrowing her eyes at her, despite causing Hinata to blush. After a moment or so, she broke off and smiled, "Relax, he's fine" She assured him, knowing of what was going on, "Maybe he's just letting you go have fun for a while".

The people out in the back could barely hear, but there were a few who understood the situation, and were not too thrilled about it either. Neji gave a light scorn as he caught wind, unimpressed that Hinata was wasting her time thinking of the Uchiha who betrayed their village, took part in the war that took the lives of many, even his own, and yet, she still left with him several months ago. After thinking it over for a short while, she gave in and smiled brightly, rejoining everyone as they watched Kiba chase after Akamaru, the latter who began chasing a stray cat out in the middle of the night. As the night was filled with laughter, there was only one part of the village that was embraced in eternal darkness.

The hallowed remains of the Uchiha district was in complete destruction, not surprising after remembering that Pain was sent to Konoha shortly after his capture of the eight tailed host. He wasn't surprised that the entire area was left in ruins. No one in Konoha favored the Uchiha Clan since his defection, and even then, since Itachi and Madara slayed the entire clan. The area itself was impossible to figure which was where, only the sign of the "Konoha Police" gave a clue where his father used to work. To him, however, everything was rebuilt inside his mind. From the buildings to the people of his clan who inhabited the area, everything appeared as a mere hallucination to him, but maybe, it was the only thing that he had left to hold on to.  
As he continued to make his way down the shattered remains of his once proud clan, he found his way back to where his own home once stood. What gave him a clue was the impaled stone wall that Itachi had pierced back when he was a kid, the day before his life had forever changed. He traced what he could of the layout of the broken boards and found the room where he had watched his brother take the lives of their parents, and continued past, until he was able to find his room. It was neatly cleaned, remembering it was where Hinata had laid him after he fell unconscious from stripping Madara of his powers.

"Can't you let go of the past, Sasuke?" A voice reached him, breaking the illusion he had of his home. Coming to his senses, the buildings were gone, torn down to the ground, and the people he had seen had faded away.

His sharingan activating, he turned lightly to the side, not responding, only looking to confirm who it was. "Naruto…" he said, his eyes returning to normal, the back of his head facing the blonde Kage once more, "What are you doing here?"

"Hinata was wondering where you've been…" he began, "Now, back to my question".

Again, he hadn't responded, ignoring what he had said.

"Don't break her heart, Sasuke" He advised, "Don't go back to the same person who left the village in a quest for revenge".

The words made his sharingan reactivate, as he quickly turned around to shoot a chidori sharp spear, several feet below his former teammate's feet. Did he misjudge the distance? No, something held him back from landing a full hit. Shrugging it off, he vanished into the air, needing a breath of fresh air and knowing he wasn't going to get it anywhere that blonde idiot was. Watching as his former teammate leave with haste, he himself debated whether to go after him, or wait until he had made up his own mind.

Atop from the telephone pole, Sasuke hunched over, gaining a bird's eye view of the entire village. His sharingan still activated, he scanned the area until finding a bon fire out near the Ninja Academy. Keeping his presence hidden while using the cloak he had been wearing to blend into the night, he had made sure he wasn't spotted. There, his eyes lightly narrowed down on the purple haired kunoichi having fun.

"So tell me" Sakura began to say, "What exactly HAVE you been doing these past several months?"  
Hinata's face grew nervous as she began to recollect on the events she encountered, "Well, for one, we trained extremely hard every day…" she trailed off as she remembered all the times she was covered in bruises and light cuts, and then recalled how slowly both of them would get worn out, having roughly equal damage done to the other, "and then…" she then recalled a particular night before her face lit as red as a tomato, "I-I m-mean, n-n-nothing!" she stuttered heavily, hiding her face behind her hands.

"Oh?" her curiosity got the best of her, "Something DID happen!" she smirked, making an attempt to get Hinata to confess.

This got the attention of the other two kunoichi's, causing them to help Sakura in her endeavor to get Hinata to confess. "Come on, now you have to tell us!" Ino shouted.

"N-no!" she struggled harder.

Helping the other two, TenTen jumped in the fray, "You can't just lead us with that and not tell us!"

After much struggling, Hinata's arms were forcibly removed from covering her face, revealing a Hinata with a face as red as Choji's armor. After looking at her face, and then at one another, the three kunoichi came to the conclusion themselves, not thinking before they shouted it out aloud, "You slept with him?!"

This caught the reaction of every male shinobi with them. Kiba's eyes were almost nonexistent; his jaw falling several feet in shock, and his entire body was frozen as stiff as a board. Shino wasn't any different from his normal composed self, standing with his hands in his pockets, his jacket and clothing covering most of his face. Choji and Shikamaru were shocked, but only barely. However, Neji's eyes narrowed in anger. Unable to take anymore, he made his way over to Hinata, who had just then was able to get up, and raised his arm. As he swung down, she clenched her eyes in fright, only realizing nothing had happened. Tracing her eyes up, she had realized Sasuke had caught her cousins hand from striking her, noticing his Sharingan was activated.

Tension began to build up between the two shinobi's from their own respective clan. Neji, stared angrily into the eyes of the lone Uchiha, as he pulled back his other hand, and thrust it like a stab into his opponents midsection, only for it to be blocked.

"Not surprising, considered the accursed eyes that you bear" he stabbed with his words.

Ignoring what he said, he tightened his grip slightly on the Hyuuga's hand.  
"S-Sasuke…let go, please" Hinata pleaded.

Keeping his stern look, he abided by her wishes, and had light tossed back to the Hyuuga, gaining some distance between he and himself before turning around and making his leave. Concerned, Hinata ran up to her cousin.

"Are you all right?" she asked, making sure to observe the area's he was gripped, there's no bruises or anything, she thought to herself, going over it once more to make sure.

Irritated, he took his hands away, "I'm fine".

"A-all right" she said, a tad frightened. Turning around, she went to see how Sasuke was doing; worried that something was bothering him "S-sasuke…" she began to say before realizing that he had already vanished from the area. "Sasuke…"

"Go after him" Sakura encouraged.

"B-but…" she nervously stuttered.

Sakura nodded, signaling her that everything would be all right. Taking it, she quickly ran off, hoping she'd be able to find him, leaving everyone she was with in another shock.

"Well… I didn't see that coming…" Kiba stated aloud.

The cold gate of Konoha's had the air remain still. Making his way towards the gate, he looked back on Naruto's words, the ones that were said to him before his little encounter with Hinata's cousin. Was his hatred really returning? The time spent in his decimated district had reminded him of the harsh memories he had tried to forget. He recollected the moment he blocked Neji's strikes and remembered that burning darkness begin to brew in his heart, and how it suddenly vanished at the voice of Hinata's voice, pleading him to stop and let go. Catching onto the subject of her, he remembered the time she had tried to leave but was ambushed, up to the present moment where she was laughing and smiling cheerfully with her friends.  
As he stopped in front of the gate to look back, he realized there was some place he needed to be, and a person he wanted to meet with before he made his decision. Turning around and about to head on towards her location, he was surprised to have found her waiting silently behind him. Her left hand rested on her chest, as her other was held over the other, shaking lightly as she stood there. Shocked, he stood there as she ran off towards him, clutching his chest lightly as she rested her head on his chest. His eyes grew solemn as he gently placed his hands around her, hovering slightly above her back due to hesitation. Seizing this opportunity, she pulled him down and pressed her lips against his, causing him to hold her gently.

Breaking off, she looked into his eyes with her light purple ones. Her eyes began to water lightly before she rested her head once more on his chest before she spoke, "Were you going to leave, leaving me behind, Sasuke?"

He hadn't responded. The words she wanted to hear hadn't appeared as she feared, causing her to speak out once more.

"Don't leave".

"I Wo-" before he could finish, he picked her up bridal style and jumped out of the way, just as something had come crashing into the ground where they once stood.

As the dust settled, they had looked to see what the cause was, only for Sasuke to quickly pick her up once more to avoid another quick strike. Getting from a far enough distance, they looked back to see a large group of anbu black ops gathered, each looking in his direction. As he looked around the perimeter he was in, he realized there was no escaping this and whoever orchestrated this didn't waste any time. Guards were posted everywhere, not even a single space was empty. From the ground all the way up to the rooftops and ledges, anbu black ops stood there, carefully noting all of his movements. Looking up to the top of the Konoha gate, he had seen a familiar shinobi standing alongside another one, one which Hinata knew immediately.

Her mouth opened in shock as she realized who it, watching as they made their landings to the front of the closed gathering of shinobi's. Realizing who it was after they had made their appearance slightly more visible, Sasuke activated his Sharingan, and closed his attention to the two.

"Father…?" her mouth shot open as she realized who it was, "But why?..."

Making his way a few steps before speaking, he looked at his daughter with disappointment before turning to Sasuke. Pulling his left hand back, his eyes lightly constricted as veins formed around his eyes. Keeping an eye on his movements, it wasn't until he clenched his fingers against the palm of his hand that Sasuke knew what was going on. Thrusting his left hand forward, Hiashi shot a large vacuum blast of air towards them, prompting Sasuke to quickly turn around and cover Hinata with his body, while having Susano'os ribcage conjured to protect them. Unbeknownst to Sasuke, he hadn't realized there was a second one; only find it out after the second consecutive had just barely hit him, breaking through the middle ribcage.

Realizing she was in danger, the only thing he could do at the moment was keep up Susano'o in order to break the attack as much as he could, knowing that currently there wasn't a safe place he could assure she'd be safe in. Her father soon stopped firing, allowing him to release the technique, an event that pleased Hinata, knowing the every second Susano'o was active, the more it would damage Sasuke's cells. Getting up, he gently left Hinata on the ground as he took his cloak off, the one he had worn his entire stay as to not draw attention to himself, and placed it around Hinata.

"Hyuuga Hiashi" he began to say, "If you wish to fight me, do not involve your daughter. This seems to be a conflict with me personally, and I do not wish to see her harmed because of it".

Surprised by what he had said, he responded, "Uchiha Sasuke… the boy clouded in darkness…"

He began to say, "The shinobi who betrayed his village all for the sake of his clan…"

Hearing his words only sharpened his gaze towards the head of the Hyuuga clan.

"Father…why are you doing this?" Hinata asked, not wanting either of them to fight.

Looking over at his daughter he responded, "I was told that this was the person you spent the last several months traveling with. Traveling, with a traitor?"

"He's not a traitor…" she said, hoping to convince, "He's protected me the entire time… even now… and I…" she trailed off. Gripping her chest, she looked straight at him, "I love him!"

The words rang through his ears, causing him to vanish. Appearing straight in front of Sasuke, he launched a variety of strikes in the mid section. Barely able to catch his fist, Sasuke used it as leverage to throw him in the air, only for her father to counter with several air vacuum palms as repent. Jumping backwards, avoiding the incoming strikes just barely, Sasuke slid against the ground and strung together several hand seals, before gathering a large intake of air, holding the final seal as he aimed his attack.

"Fire release: Grand Fireball technique!" he spoke the incantation in his thoughts before exhaling a massive fireball.

Seeing it coming, he quickly spun himself, "Eight Trigrams: Rotation!" he spoke aloud, dispersing the fire release attack with his defensive measure. Landing in a perfect stance, one enough to end the quarrel once and for all, Hinata had realized what it was that her father was about to do.

"Sasuke, watch out!" she shouted, but she was too late.

Catching wind of her words, he realized a little too late what her father was going to do. He watched as the man vanished in a burst of speed, barely catching his movements with his Sharingan, he was surprised, and yet, not so much, by the one who was head of the Hyuuga clan. Anticipating the Eight Trigrams attack, he braced himself, only to feel the man's presence appear behind him. Was he going for an assault from the back? Thinking for a slight second he realized the man's true intent, to attack Hinata. She herself was surprised at the slight change in her father's target, realizing that she had misjudged the intention, her face grew in shock as he approached closer, ready to unleash his assault.  
"Eight Trigrams: 64 Palms!" he shouted, unleashing the fury of his clan's technique.

She watched in shock as she realized he had stopped before being able to unleash it, noticing how her father was ensnared in the grasp of the ethereal warrior's grip, Susano'o. Knowing where it came from, she looked at Sasuke, his eyes growing with hatred. Staring into the depths of his eyes, she could feel what was growing, but watched as he held his head in slight agony, tossing her father back aways near Neji, who observed with an interest. There were no marks on his body, no broken bones or anything short of a normal grab. The two observed the Uchiha with interest before looking back at another. Hinata on the other hand, ran up to console him, knowing what it was he was feeling.

"It's okay… you're stronger than this, Sasuke" she told him, holding his head close to him, "I'm all right, everything's all right…"

The slight agony and pain he was feeling soon evaporated, as the ethereal warrior itself dissipated immediately. Standing back up, she followed up the same, wanting to be sure that he was all right. "It's okay… I'll be fine" he assured, gently pulling away from her.

Intrigued, Hiashi looked at the anbu captain, who stood next to him, and nodded his head gently. Understanding what he meant, he signaled the rest of the anbu squad members, causing them to shift into attack position. Watching as all the members around them shifted into battle position, they launched themselves from the spots and readied their blades to attack.

Taking into account all the ones that he could, he readied his chokuto, slightly drawing the blade out ready to counter, "Hinata…now!" he shouted.

"R-right!" she replied, readying herself in position, her eyes constricted as she prepared herself.

As the incoming anbu members came in, Sasuke vanished, taking out several members by knocking them out in the air with his blade. He had made sure that each slice he made was only enough to disarm them from their weapons, and finished it off with either a kick or punch, sending them crashing into the ground. Realizing there were still several more piling in after them, he landed and made a slight spin. Making a seal with his left hand, since his other was occupied with a blade, he shot both arms out as a large array of electricity emitted from his body, affecting all those who came into contact with him, rendering them stiff and immobile for the time being on the ground next to him.

Simultaneously, Hinata was being bombarded by anbu members as well, however, using her Eight Trigrams: Rotation, she was able to deflect the incoming assailants with relative ease. Those who approached from the ground took the delay from the attack to charge in her blind spot, the spot directly behind her. As the blade came at a relatively fast pace, she instantly deflected it by spinning around, blocking it with the first hand, and countering by slamming her palm straight into his chest, shooting him back a bit. Other members came from behind and once more, she defended herself, but included several powerful strikes after blocking.

Sasuke observed her battle prowess, and remembered the moment during their training where she lacked the ability to feel a person's presence. He had made her realize that relying on her eyesight alone was going to be a problem, so he had trained her to feel with more than her senses.

"Interesting… it seems she has negated the Byakugan's one weakness" Hiashi mentioned based on his observation, "With that, it seems she doesn't have a blind spot" his eyes then shifted to the Uchiha who was watching with a light glare, "He on the otherhand…" before vanishing once more, he appeared.

Despite feeling his presence, Hinata was distracted with the relentless assault, as Sasuke was as well, to properly counter her father's air vacuum palm. Feeling the effects hit her and send her crashing, the anbu captain had caught her and placed a blade to her throat. Seeing what had happened, Sasuke charged after, only to be caught in another battle between him and Hiashi.

"You have a choice, and only so little time…" he informed him, "You either quickly kill us both and take her alive, or you fight us and the captain will lose his patience… time is ticking"

Glaring, he bolted straight forward as Hiashi went back into stance. Watching as the Uchiha run straight towards him, he noticed that his blade was put away, and pulled his left hand back. As he came into range, he thrust his hand out, shooting a large vacuum of air at him and watched as he dodged to the left. Anticipating a dodge, he shot another and watched as he dodged again, advancing closer with every movement. Closing in, he strung together several handseals, taking in a large breath of air as she did. Leaping above after another attack, he made careful air.

"Fire release: Great Dragon fire!" he shouted in his mind, exhaling a few large balls of fire in the shape of a dragon at his opponent as he quickly descending behind him.

Anticipating this, Hiashi quickly spun around in a circle, dispersing the incoming attacks, only to realize that after he had finished, Sasuke was already closed in with a chidori held in his left hand. Everyone watched to see what he would do, Neji, anticipating the attack to go through was ready to step in at the right moment, while Hinata watched in belief that Sasuke would do that right thing. As he closed in and was ready to take a death strike, Sasuke subconsciously recollected on the words Kakashi had told him years ago, after the first time he and Naruto had spoken.

"I developed Chidori as a means to protect bonds" he remembered him say. Recollecting that moment and reminded him of how his mother always used to care for him as a child, and how spending time and how he felt around her. Feeling that caused him to realize he felt the same feelings around Hinata, and at the last moment, he opened his hands and pressed the palm of his chidori straight into Hiashi, sending him flying back instead of piercing through.

Everyone around him was surprised at what had transpired. Neji released the tension he felt and ran up to assure that Hiashi was alright. Thankful that he was, he realized that Sasuke had only managed to use the impact to jettison the head of the Hyuuga household back away. Smiling gently, Hinata was let go and ran up to Sasuke, thankful that she did what she knew he'd do. Holding him within her arms, she smiled, knowing that the troubled feeling that was overshadowing him had vanished. It was then the two were greeted by Neji and Hiashi, the latter who had come to speak with them both.

"I'm surprised, Uchiha" he began to say, "Instead of taking a life, you're a man who is willing to risk everything, except to kill man, just for the safety of my daughter" he continued on to say, "Neji has told me that your desire to protect her comes from your love, but you struggled so much with your past… had you gone through with your final attack, your hate would have consumed you, but you yourself, have conquered it for good".

Lightly surprised, Hinata looked up at her father, "You mean this was to help him?"

"Yes" he nodded as he responded, "As for you… you have learned so many things, even managing to overcome the Hyuuga's one blind spot, for that, I am proud of you".

She smiled big, "Thank you, father".

"Uchiha Sasuke… while your actions have had a longing effect on Konoha's view… you've gained my respect, as well as the Hyuuga clan's approval" he stated, extending his hand out, "You are always welcome in our home, only on the condition, you promise to never abandon my daughter".

Looking over at her, he gave a light smile before returning to his determined attitude, grabbing his hand, "I don't think… I could live without her" he spoke, causing her to blush.

As he was helped up, she ran into his arms, causing him to hold her tightly. As they made their way back to her household, Sasuke stopped for a moment and looked back afar, realzing who was watching the entire time. For out in the distance, Sasuke caught a glimpse of Naruto, who watched the entire battle to see what choice he would have made.

The next morning arose. As light peaked through the window of the room, Sasuke and Hinata were found lightly embraced in her bed. Feeling the rays of the sun peak and wake them, he awoke groggy and observed her as she slept. Smiling, he gently brushed the hair out of her face, causing her to shift her body slightly. Stepping outside for a bit, he was greeted by the blonde idiot, who looked as though he had been standing there the entire time. Dressed in his Hokage attire, he took a seat down next to the Uchiha.

"I knew you'd make the right choice" he smiled as he spoke, "Ever since Hinata went with you, you've grown soft"

Narrowing his eyes to the side, he gave a stern look to his former teammate, "Shut it, idiot" he said in a monotonic tone.

"Anyway, the reason I'm here, is because I want to instate you as leader of the Anbu Ops as well as my 2nd handed man" he offered, "So how about it, Sasuke?"

Looking back on Hinata, he had realized she had woken up and smiled, snuggling back into blankets. Lightly patting on the empty space, he returned to the conversation, "I'll think about it and tell you later" he said getting up, lightly waving from the back and shutting the sliding door.

"So, I'll take that as a yes".

Back inside, she waited for him to get back into bed before holding on to him, "What did he want to talk about?"

"He offered a high position for me, something to keep me stuck in this place" he said, kissing her lightly on the forehead.

"That's great" she smiled, "did you accept?"

Looking away sternly, he replied, "And be stuck in this place again?" Pulling his face to meet hers, she kissed him on the lips.

"None of that"

Flustered lightly, he turned his head to the side to avoid eye contact, "fine… I'll talk to him about it later".

"Good" she smiled, bringing him back down into the bed, "Now let's go back to sleep…"

Smiling he agreed and wrapped his arms around her to which she buried into, "sounds like a great idea…" he followed.

She couldn't help but smile lightly against his chest, "mmm…. I love you…" she confessed before drifting back off to sleep.

"And I love you" he admitted, following her back to sleep.


End file.
